How to Pair Fine Wines with Shanghainese Cuisine

The Fairmont Peace Hotel in Shanghai is ranked best hotel in China by readers of Condé Nast Traveler.

The Art Deco edifice is located at a prime location along the waterfront of Shanghai’s legendary Bund, affording breathtaking views of the Whampoa River and the Pudong new development zone.

Food + Beverage

Shanghai is China’s largest city. At the mouth of the Yangtze River, it is also the country’s most important port. During the 1920s and 30s, it was one of the world’s most cosmopolitan cities, referred to as the Paris of the East.

Interestingly, Shanghai does not really have a distinct cuisine of its own. Most of the dishes usually associated with the town are actually imports from nearby Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, both of which are among the so-called Eight Great Cuisines of China.

The two cuisines are often collectively referred to as Huaiyang cuisine or Jiangnan cuisine. Jiangnan is Chinese for “south of the river”, which refers to the Whampoa River, which runs through the city of Shanghai.

Because the cooking style of Zhejiang and Jiangsu are very popular in Shanghai, many restaurants serving it – especially those outside the mainland – often position themselves as Shanghainese restaurants.

Shanghainese cuisine tends to be heavier and oilier than Cantonese cuisine. Sugar and soy sauce are favoured condiments.

Chicken, crab, eel, and fish are often soaked in alcoholic beverages and then quickly cooked or steamed – and sometimes even served raw! Such dishes are somewhat poetically referred to as “drunken chicken” or “drunken crabs” in English. Preserved vegetables and salted meats are other favoured ingredients.

Dim Sum and Noodles

Dim sum and noodles are popular. Indigenous varieties include thick noodles and that perennial favourite: xiao long bao, or steamed buns with savory stuffing.

If Shanghai has a signature dish, it would have to be steamed hairy crab. It is usually served with a dipping sauce of vinegar, crushed garlic, and brown sugar.

“Shanghai has been China’s most important port city, and this has allowed it to incorporate many regional and international ideas into its cuisine,” says Cheng Chi-keung, Chinese executive chef at the Portman Ritz-Carlton Shanghai.

“In Shanghai , there is more dependence on soy sauce and a great deal more sugar is used. Stewing, braising, and frying are the most common forms of Shanghainese cooking.

The slow ‘red cooking’ technique is unique to Shanghainese cuisine and has now spread to other parts of China. Rice is the staple here, and seafood is also very popular in this port city.”

What to Drink with Selected Shanghainese Dishes (Part I)

These food and wine combinations were suggested by Cheng Chi-keung, Chinese executive chef at he Ritz-Carlton, Shanghai:

Braised Pork Ribs with Pine Seeds in Sweet and Sour Sauce

Torres Cabernet Sauvignon Mas Las Plana from Spain (red)

Braised Prawns Head, Sweet and Sour Sauce Deep Fried Prawns and Tail

Cloudy Bay Chardonnay from New Zealand (white)

Deep Fried Mandarin Fish in Sweet and Sour Sauce

Cloudy Bay Chardonnay from New Zealand (white)

What to Drink with Selected Shanghainese Dishes (Part II)

These food and wine combinations were suggested by the Hong Kong Tourism Board: